Joanne Lipman’s Guide to Diction

The new issue of Portfoliois out today, and it's worth taking a look at diction in the magazine's glossy pages.

To counter the some of the "wealth porn" criticism that the first issue received, several Portfolio staffers told The Observer that editors were instructed to think twice about certain lofty words: "chauffeur," "mansion," "titan," "millionaire," and "billionaire." This editorial move wasn't compulsory and there was no memo, staffers said. Just an effort to cut down.

So how did it work out?

Chauffeur: 0

Mansion: 7

Titan: 2

Millionaire: 2

Billionaire: 6

Not bad, but we'll see how it goes with issue 3, closing in just a few weeks.